Glossary of religious terms
(Starting with "N")
By
B.A. Robinson,
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance,
Canada
http://www.religioustolerance.org/glossary.htm
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Note:
Conservative Christian faith groups often define terms
very differently than other faith groups and secular
movements. The former are shown in italics
in the below lists of words.
| Name
it and Claim it: (a.k.a. Word of Faith movement,
Health & Wealth Gospel, Positive Confession,
and Faith-formula). A group of conservative Protestant
para-church ministries which focus on "anointed"
ministers and the health, wealth, and success
of their viewers and donors. MinistryWatch estimates
that their total income is in excess of a half
billion dollars annually. 2 |
| Naturalism:
The belief that phenomena in the universe are
explained by natural laws, and that there are
no supernatural forces at work. |
| Naturalistic
Evolution: The belief that new
species of animals develop from existing species
over a very long interval of time, in response
to purely natural forces and processes - i.e.
without the intervention of a deity. |
| Near-death
Experience: (acronym NDE): An often profoundly
moving experience that is sometimes felt by persons
who have clinically died and been brought back
to life. It often involves the perception of traveling
through a tube towards a light. It is often associated
with warm feelings of acceptance and love. Some
neurologists believe that the NDE does not reflect
reality, but is a normal hallucinogenic experience
generated by a brain that is being starved of
oxygen. |
| Necromancy:
Am attempt to communicate with the spirits of
the dead. This is forbidden in the Hebrew
Scriptures (Old Testament). |
| Nenju:
Buddhist meditation beads. |
| Neo-orthodoxy:
(a.k.a. Barthianism) A movement within Christianity
which was a reaction against liberalism, and based
on the leadership of Karl Barth (1886-1968). He
taught that God is "so far transcendent
above man that there could be no communication
between man and God." God cannot be described
in human language. Humans can only communicate
with God through the Bible, in spite of its human
origins. Barth accepted the theory of evolution
and higher criticism. |
| Neopagan:
(a.k.a. Neo-pagan, Pagan): A person who follows
a religion which is reconstructed from, or based
upon, a ancient Pagan religion. e.g. the Druidic
religion is based on the faith and practices of
the ancient Celtic professional class; followers
of Asatru
adhere to the ancient, pre-Christian Norse religion;
Wiccans
trace their roots back to the pre-Christian era
in Europe. Other Neo-pagans follow Roman, Greek,
Egyptian and other traditions. No Neopagan tradition
recognizes an all-evil deity similar to the Christian
and Islamic Satan. Neopagans respect other religions
and the right of people to follow the faith of
their choice. Conservative usage: a form of
Satanism.
Neopagans hate Christianity. |
| Neo-Pentecostalism:
A synonym for the Charismatic movement. |
| Neotheism
(Open Theism a.k.a. or Open view of God): A
belief that God is not omniscient. In particular,
God does not know what will happen in the future
with precision. Supporters of this belief back
up their position with biblical quotations. |
| New
Age: Although it is often referred
to as a religion, the New Age is in reality an
almost completely decentralized and unorganized
spiritual movement. It is composed of metaphysical
bookstores, seminar leaders, authors, teachers
and user/believers of a variety of techniques,
such as channeling, past life regressions, pyramid
science, crystal power, etc. It is a free-flowing
spiritual movement - a network of believers and
practitioners - where book publishers take the
place of a central organization; seminars, conventions,
books and informal groups replace of sermons and
religious services. Conservative usage: closely
coordinated groups including occultists, Wiccans,
Satanists, astrologers, channelers, spiritists,
etc. |
| New
Covenant Theology: A Christian concept which
teaches that God's revelations in the Christian
Scriptures (a.k.a. New Testament) possesses a
distinctively "new character." Jesus
is seen as having changed God's laws as they had
been earlier revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures
(a.k.a. Old Testament). The laws of Moses are
seen as temporary revelations to be superceded
with Jesus' disclosures. See also "covenant
theology." |
| New
Jerusalem: A holy city, described in Revelation
21:1-2, descending to earth 1000 years after the
battle of Armageddon. |
| New
Thought: A group of metaphysical Christian
faith groups including Unity,
Religious Science, Science of Mind, Divine Science,
Christian
Science, etc. |
| Nikah:
Muslim term for marriage. |
| Nilhilist:
One who rejects almost every type of assertion
about the nature of the universe. Usually attributes
no significance to humankind or to any meaning
for existence. |
| Nirvana:
This is a Buddhist term which means a state
of mind where all suffering and dissonant emotions
which give rise to suffering have ceased and one
is released from samsara - the endless cycle
of birth, life, death and rebirth. |
| Normative
Ethics: a study into ultimate values and how
people should live their lives. |
| Normative
principle: The belief, held by Lutherans and Anglicans
that whatever is not specifically forbidden in
the Bible is allowed in the church's practice,
worship and organization. |
| Numerology:
The use of numerical analysis to uncover hidden
knowledge. One of the most famous examples of
numerology involves the reference to the number
of the beast - 666 - in Revelation 13:18.
This has led to numerous interpretations. |
References:
- "Neo-Orthodoxy,"
at: http://www.freechurch.org/
- "A
critical look at the 'Word of Faith' ministries,"
Ministry Watch Reflections, 2003-OCT, at: http://www.ministrywatch.com/
A
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